About how hCG should grow, women who have already become mothers, as well as those who are still planning to conceive and have a baby, know. The simplest option for clarifying the concentration of hCG in the body is a home test to determine the fact of conception. A pair of strips, which indicates the emergence of a new life, appears if an increased percentage of hCG is detected in the liquid studied by a simple method. What it is?
general information
It is known that tests designed to show what is the likelihood of pregnancy are ineffective if you use them before the delay of menstruation. Testing will not give the exact amount of the hormone compound. The results will not show how long the fetus has existed. To obtain accurate information, you must contact the clinic, where they will do a special blood test. This is more effective, since the active substance first appears in the circulatory system, only then it is excreted from the body with urine.
Before understanding how hCG should grow, it makes sense to state what it is. The abbreviation stands for human chorionic gonadotropin. This is such a glycoprotein, a hormonal substance that is generated by the fetal egg tissue. Processes begin when the embryo is implanted in the uterine wall. Soon it can be detected in the circulatory system of the mother's body. The hormone is formed by two units called the Greek letters alpha, beta. The beta subunit is detected in the circulatory system earlier than a full-fledged molecular compound. For men, as well as women who are not expecting a baby, the average indicator is from zero to five units. Accordingly, it is safe to say that the hCG indicator is one of the most reliable detectors for the emergence of a new life.
How to check?
To take the tests correctly, you need to know how hCG should grow, at what stages of gestation it makes sense to do a check. Studies have shown that a week after conception, a blood test to determine beta-hCG can show the fact of implantation. The most successful day is considered the eleventh day after conception. If gestation is normal, hCG can be detected in the blood plasma on the fifth day after the moment of implantation. The peak concentration of this hormone persists until the eighth or ninth week.
A situation is possible where even the approximate date of conception cannot be determined. In this case, it is necessary to do an analysis if the monthly bleeding is delayed for four days (a check can be done a day earlier or later). Reliable will be a check that falls on the period 3-4 weeks after the last day of menstruation. HCG is the only accurate and reliable indicator that gives an idea of the fact of conception at an early date. Checking the concentration of this hormone allows you to determine the fact of pregnancy much earlier than ultrasound shows.
Biology and development
Human anatomy and biochemistry are such that the functions of supporting the efficiency of the corpus luteum are assigned to hCG. The same hormone prevents the release of progesterone at an early stage of gestation. Doctors know well how hCG should grow: both in the circulatory system and in urine, the content of this hormone gradually becomes larger. In the first couple of days, the indicators doubled, the maximum is achievable by the eighth week, in some - until the end of the 12th. Approximately two weeks later, indicators fall, amounting to one fifth, and sometimes even one twentieth of the maximum. Then a reachable plateau.
If the process is proceeding well, the concentration of hCG is gradually increasing. The decrease in the content of this hormone is due to a decrease in the relevance of the functioning of the corpus luteum. The process in each case is strictly individual. Accordingly, there are generalized results derived from monitoring many women, but you need to understand that in a particular case there can be very different deviations, and they do not always indicate a pathology of the process.
General observations
The average indicators reflecting how hCG should grow in early pregnancy are approximately as follows:
- In the first month, the hormone content doubles over the time period from one day to three.
- During the second month, the doubling period reaches three and a half days.
- After 10-12 weeks, the substance content decreases.
If the concentration of the hormonal compound does not increase, if the parameters decrease ahead of time, a woman should take the help of a qualified doctor. Improper, non-standard dynamics can indicate a missed pregnancy. If the content of the hormonal substance significantly exceeds the norm, perhaps this indicates a pathology. In particular, cystic drift indicates such analyzes.
When are we checking?
Since doctors know how hCG should grow in the early stages, if a woman applies with the assumption of conception, she is prescribed specialized studies to determine the concentration of the substance, and they proceed from what are the estimated terms of conception. Detecting the hormone content is especially useful a week or two after fertilization and implantation of the egg. No less important is such a study, if a tumor is suspected - it allows you to make the right diagnosis in time, and in the future to monitor the development of the process.
In the case of an ectopic conception of hCG in the circulatory system, although it is detected, it is in a lower concentration than with the correct course of the process. A timely study is the key to detecting process violations. In addition, such an analysis allows you to identify in time whether a simple delay in monthly bleeding is observed or if it is about fertilization of the egg. A reduced concentration of the substance indicates a risk of miscarriage, speaks of the death of the embryo in the uterus in the early period or pregnancy, which does not develop.
All you need to check!
The doctor, knowing how hCG should grow in the early stages, can refer the client to a comprehensive analysis. This is practiced in a predominant percentage of cases. At the same time, the content of hCG in the circulatory system, ACE, estriol is examined. Such a study must be done in the second third of the term. Assessing the results of the analysis, one can understand how great the risks of chromosomal abnormalities are. The analysis is considered one of the most accurate and most valuable for assessing the state of the embryo.
Relevance of research
HCG needs to be checked, since this indicator is a marker of pregnancy. With the help of the study, it is possible to identify conception at an early stage and evaluate the gestational period. This is especially important if fertilization has occurred through IVF.
You need to know how the indicators are changing, what they are at the moment, in order to determine ectopic fertilization in time. An equally important function of the study is prenatal diagnosis. It is often supplemented with ultrasonic testing.
Day after day
Residents usually rarely know how hCG should grow by day. In order to correctly interpret the research results, it is necessary to check with the doctor what values are normal, which indicate possible pathologies. There are publicly available materials on this subject. In them, as in the table below, summarized information is presented. In each individual case, the values may go beyond the specified framework, but at the same time not talk about any troubles, problems. Passing the analysis, you should check with your doctor what results to expect. Although you can read the indicators yourself (theoretically), the probability of an erroneous interpretation is very high, therefore, in the general case, it is recommended not to risk it. Individual structural features of the body are possible, due to which the concentration of the hormonal substance differs from the standard normal indicator. It is possible that pregnancy proceeds adequately, progresses classically, and the embryo is completely full. To understand whether this is so, only a qualified doctor can track the progress of the indicator. In many ways, it is the dynamics of the values that are important, and not the set of numbers taken out of context.
On average, in non-pregnant women, more often the analysis shows 0.1 mIU / ml. In the third week of gestation, the parameter reaches 71.2 units, and by the sixth week it can rise to 31,795. The growth of hCG in the early term is not significant. So, in the fourth week, indicators from 9.5 mIU / ml are considered normal, although for some the value reaches 750 units. But by the fifth week, the predominant majority of pregnant hCG has at least 217 units. Normal, average statistics are indicators up to 7,138.
Time and parameters
Usually, doctors do not advise a woman to find out the growth of hCG by the day, since it is enough to track the dynamics for weeks. So, if by the sixth week values of more than 31 thousand units are considered normal, then for the seventh minimum a little more than three and a half thousand are the norm, while the largest is 163.5 thousand. Observations of numerous women bearing the fetus showed that in the eighth week, hCG in the majority varies from 32 to 150 thousand units. In the ninth week, a value of the order of 63.8 thousand is taken as the minimum norm, while the maximum does not exceed 151.5 thousand. A week later, there is a decrease in the minimum normal value to 46.5 thousand. The maximum identified in the course of statistical studies reaches 187 thousand units.
Not monitoring the growth of hCG by the day, but tracking the indicators week after week, you can roughly navigate how normal the process is. Thus, the parameters taken during the tenth and eleventh weeks and turned out to be more than 27.8 thousand, but less than 210.6 thousand, speak about the average case. For the 14th week, the minimum norm is 14 thousand units, and the maximum is not more than 62.5 thousand. A week later, the majority value ranges from 12 to 71 thousand units. You can already see a noticeable decline in performance compared to the previous peak. For the 16th week, the normal value is considered to be more than nine thousand, but not more than 56.5 thousand. A week later, hCG should vary from eight to 56 thousand, and by the 18th week with the same minimum value usually does not exceed 58 thousand units.
Why more?
If the growth dynamics of hCG differs from the above, it is quite possible that the reason is the individual characteristics of the body, while there is no pathology, the process proceeds completely normally. However, this is not always the case. If hCG is observed above the norm, sometimes this does not at all signal a conception. As specialized medical research has shown, this phenomenon accompanies serine, it can talk about testicular teratoma or cystic drift, as well as an exacerbation of this condition. The growth of hCG is associated with chorionic carcinoma, a relapse of a pathological condition, and can indicate neoplasms in the gastrointestinal tract. Among other diseases, which indicates an increase in the concentration of normal compounds - colorectal oncology. There are cases when hCG increased due to neoplasms in the reproductive, renal, respiratory systems.
An increase in the concentration of hCG is possible if a person receives drugs containing this hormonal compound. If a woman has had an abortion and after 4-5 days after this event they check the blood for the concentration of hormones, as a rule, the level of hCG is found to be elevated.
Pregnancy: when are values above normal?
The cause of excess hGH growth in the early stages of pregnancy may be the presence of several fruits. Above the norm, indicators are observed if the bearing has dragged on for longer than the prescribed time. The values shown by the analysis may diverge from expectations if the moment of conception is incorrectly determined and the period is longer than previously assumed. In some cases, based on hCG values, gestational diabetes can be diagnosed. Exceeding standard values may indicate early toxicosis. Possible causes include chromosomal embryonic abnormalities. Above average indicators are possible if a woman receives artificial gestagens.
In the case of Down Syndrome, the concentration of hCG is known to increase. Such an analysis gives an idea of the belonging of a woman and her child to a risk group. It is impossible to determine the pathology only on its basis. If the check reveals an increase in values greater than average, the woman is prescribed additional tests to clarify the reasons for the deviation from the standard values. The probability of having a baby with Down syndrome is usually determined already in the first third of the term. Currently, any woman is required to do screening. He is prescribed at the time of 11-13 weeks. If studies of hCG showed a deviation from the norm in a large direction, after two to three days, a second study should be done, giving an idea of the dynamics of changes in the concentration of hormones in the blood.
And if less?
Non-standard growth, low hCG is sometimes observed. If the tests show just such a deviation from standard indicators, we can assume conception with fixing the fetal egg outside the uterus. Perhaps the pregnancy has stopped and the fetus is not developing. There may be a discrepancy between the real and the expected dates: the duration of gestation is less than determined for a particular case. Reduced concentration may indicate the probability of interruption. At the same time, the content of the hormonal substance decreases progressively and differs from the average norm by approximately half.
Improper growth, low hCG are characteristic of the case of placental insufficiency. There is a danger of true overtaking. If abnormalities are observed in the second or third part of the term, a drop in hCG may indicate an antenatal death of the embryo.
Truth and False Results
Although doctors are well aware of how hCG should grow during pregnancy, how to check this indicator and how to interpret the results, erroneous conclusions are possible due to imperfect analysis. Any modern methods of taking indicators are such that an incorrect assessment of the human condition is possible. The probability of incorrect results is relatively small, but it is still important to take it into account. If the results of the studies are mixed, you must re-donate blood to assess the content of hormonal compounds. The optimal interval between attempts is from a couple to three days. In the case of pregnancy, the results of the research will differ between one and a half or two times. If there is no pregnancy, the values may remain the same, may become slightly higher.
There is a chance of false negative research results. This is the name of the situation when, in laboratory conditions, a pregnant woman receives blood samples for research, but at the end of it a condition is diagnosed as the absence of conception. Usually, doctors are well aware of how much hCG should grow in a particular case, and a diagnosis error may be due to improper laboratory work. For example, they may take blood incorrectly or poorly. Unwanted incorrect results will be given too early by the study. A false negative response is possible when the fetus is fixed outside the uterus, as well as in case of delayed ovulation, delayed implantation.
Since diseases can be the cause of hCG growth, a false positive test result is sometimes observed with a number of pathologies. In practice, a false positive diagnosis of pregnancy occurs with a very low frequency. This usually indicates serious illnesses, mainly oncological.
About the nuances
If the tests show a slow growth of hCG, if a woman received the results of the studies and doubts the correctness of their reading, you need to consult a doctor. If the results are such that the woman is confident in the presence of deviations, pathologies, a visit to the doctor is strictly necessary. First of all, with the results of studies are recorded at the appointment to the gynecologist. The doctor will make recommendations on a case-by-case basis and will advise you to do a re-examination as necessary.
It must be borne in mind that receiving oral contraceptives does not correct the value of hCG. The content of this hormone in the female body is not affected by the intake of other drugs. An exception is the funds in which it is included. , .
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If hCG in the body is observed in a very low concentration, it is completely impossible to detect it using modern research methods. If conception happened, then before the seventh day blood tests usually do not show this substance - it is still too small, so even sensitive systems cannot perceive the presence of molecules. In urine, hCG is observed in volumes available for detection by modern methods, only by the eighth or ninth day of gestation.
How to check?
Four methods are known for estimating the concentration of beta-hCG. The choice in favor of a particular one is determined by the equipment available at the clinic and the needs of a particular client. Take into account that explosive (rarely slower) growth of hCG is recorded until the 12th week with subsequent activation of growth after the 22nd week of gestation. Quite often, if it is necessary to detect a hormonal substance, the radioimmunological method is used during the first five weeks after conception. On average, from the fourth or fifth week, you can use the method of immunoradiometric measurement. This approach can give a sufficiently complete picture only if the concentration of the hormonal substance exceeds the minimum threshold value for the methodology - 150 units. The method gives the results relatively quickly, to get the result you need to wait from five minutes to half an hour.
Fluorimmunological testing gives an idea of the growth of hCG during IVF and classical conception, if the content of the hormonal compound in the circulatory system exceeds one unit. In the general case, this approach is used to determine the fact of successful conception already at a 3.5-week period. The technique is characterized by increased sensitivity and is rarely used when checking a woman who suspects pregnancy. Usually they resort to it if a tumor is supposed to produce this hormone. In addition, this approach is indispensable if a woman has previously suffered an abortion (spontaneous or induced), if it is necessary to timely identify the fact of attachment of a fetal egg outside the uterine cavity.
Features and numbers
On average, only five percent of women manage to detect the beta subunit of a hormonal substance on the eighth day after conception. Most have a threshold period of 11 days.
If the growth of hCG after IVF is very poor and the content of the hormonal substance does not exceed five units, they indicate a negative result of the study and the absence of conception. Positive are considered results in excess of 25 units. At the same time, a single check practically does not play a role and does not give an accurate picture, so a one-time study will not be the basis for detecting pregnancy.
As follows from the above information, after 6-7 weeks of gestation, the growth of a hormonal substance in the blood occurs relatively slowly. Although average values double with an interval of three and a half or four days, some report a slower, poor hCG growth. In the general case, this does not indicate pathology and does not indicate abnormalities in the development of the fetus, although the doctor may recommend additional examinations based on specific indicators and their compliance with the dynamics in general. But in the second half of the term, the concentration of the hormonal substance in question is only one tenth of the maximum observed in the first half. A slight increase is detected shortly before the resolution of the burden.